The Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC) will be celebrating September 28, Safe Abortion Day, with various programmes and activities. On 25 September, the Reproductive Health Rights Working Group (RHRWG), which is comprised of NGOs and INGOs, including Ipas and Center for Reproductive Rights, and in which Beyond Beijing Committee is an active member, organised a meeting for the preparation for Safe Abortion Day.
We decided to take this day as an opportunity to bring the government – Ministry of Health and Population and its Family Health Division and the National Women’s Commission – into the action. We will celebrate it together with government to make them accountable for the reproductive health rights of women. The meeting decided to publish a bulletin and a flyer, to hold a candlelight vigil on 28 September at the Mandala in memory of women who died due to unsafe abortion, and hold a press conference on 29 September at Yak Palace. On 30 September we will have our main event/celebration at the Yellow Pagoda Hotel at 16: 00. To attend the main event we are planning to invite the secretary of the National Women’s Commission, Hon’ble Ranju Thakur, Hon’ble Arju , Hon’ Kanyan Shrestha.
At the village level and district level, Beyond Beijing Committee initiates an “End abortion stigma” campaign at our project sites, together with our partners. The “End abortion stigma” campaign will also be posted on our Facebook page. We will also encourage women who have had an abortion to break the silence and form a circle of women who have had an abortion and collect their stories.
In Nepal this year, the government has allocated some funding for free abortion services, which needs to become a de-facto reality for those who need it, especially in the remote, rural areas where the most disadvantaged people live. “Implement, implement and implement the policy” is our lobbying call.
May Safe Abortion Day End Abortion Stigma!!